Dwayne Martens, the man who started Amazonia and runs it alongside Chris Norden, chats with us about their expanding natural supplement range.
Tell us a bit about your background.
I’m originally from South Africa, where my family and I lived on a produce farm. When I was 13 I moved to Australia. I was told Australia was a land of opportunity and when I first landed in the country I remember finding $2 at the airport. That in South Africa was about 20 Rand, which was quite a lot of money for me to find. I lived on a small farm in WA until I moved to Perth to study health science. I went travelling for a few years and during that time read many mindset books. I came back to Australia with a belief in myself that I can do anything and get through any situation. I was confident enough to follow my dreams. Australia really has been a land of opportunity for me and I feel very grateful to live here.
How did the Amazonia journey unfold?
It all began out the back of a little organic restaurant in Fremantle in 2008. Açaí was my first product and I packaged bulk bags of the berries to sell at the markets. Fast-forward a few years and we now sell to 1000 cafes and juice bars around Australia and we’ve recently launched our Raw products. Creating a completely natural supplement range has been a strong vision of mine for a long time and it feels great to have that come to fruition.
Where are your ingredients sourced and the products made?
We source our ingredients from Australia and all over the world. Most of our products use red algae as a base ingredient and we source that off the coast of Iceland. We source açaí from the Amazon rainforest and our coconuts from Thailand. All our products are made locally in New South Wales.
How do you come up with your blends?
There is a lot of consultation that goes on. We work with naturopaths, nutritionists, herbalists and doctors to get a very professional opinion on our ingredients. We look at issues such as digestion, unhealthy gut bacteria and parasites to create a product that not only tastes great but can also provide a full solution to maintaining one’s wellbeing.
On your website it mentions you supply six hospitals with Amazonia products. Which products are these?
We offer the hospitals our Raw and Açaí range, so products such as the Greens and Multi blend. Our ambition is to bring more nutrition into hospitals. We want to reduce the number of people affected by lifestyle issues such as heart disease and cancer and do so by bringing awareness, education and nutrition into their daily lives.
Where do you think the health and wellness industry is headed?
It is absolutely on the rise. More and more people are suffering from lifestyle disease than ever before and we need to understand the important role good nutrition plays. People are intelligent. They are getting healthier, making better choices for their bodies and really leading the way.
How does Amazonia embrace sustainable practices?
There are 6.1 million acres of açaí naturally occurring in the Amazon rainforest and we harvest only 4000 acres of that. Because we harvest by hand — no machines are needed — we don’t even need to build roads as the açaí trees are river dwelling. The local community owns the rainforest and gains a large income from each harvest. This hugely improves their livelihood. For our coconuts, we harvest 2000 acres in Thailand. Our suppliers have certified organic standards, so no harmful pesticides leach into the environment, and they also recycle the coconut husks. The farmers grow fish in the estuaries underneath the coconut trees and have introduced natural beehives, birds and insects to create an ecosystem that works harmoniously with nature. Also, the açaí berry is 95 per cent seed, which provides a massive wood supply for burning. We’ve implemented this practice as it’s much kinder to the planet than chopping down trees to burn.
What tools help to keep you focused?
I meditate every day but I don’t put a timeframe on it. Sometimes it’s 20 seconds, sometimes it’s 20 minutes. I believe when you place a timeframe on your meditation practice it becomes a chore when it should be a beautiful gift. Another practice of mine, which is a bit out there, is sun-gazing. The sun is the highest energy point in the universe and during the last 45 minutes of the day its UV is very low. You begin gazing at the sun for 10–20 seconds and slowly build your way up to 30 minutes. I get a lot of energy from this practice and it helps my mind to stay clear and focused.
What is next for Amazonia?
We are about to launch our frozen cacao and coconut superfood range, so you’ll be seeing those in cafes and juice bars soon. We aim for our Raw products to be the natural supplement range in Australia, and for Amazonia to be known and loved internationally. We want to create more demand for tree-based organic, ethical and sustainable sources so that our ecosystems continue to thrive, essentially improving our own existence and the existence of the planet.
For more details, visit amazonia.com.au
